DDBlock

Research within the Centre is arranged into four mission-based work packages: Quantum Communications; Optical Quantum Computation; Silicon Quantum Computation and Resources and Integration. These work packages link significant research strengths across six Australian universities in 17 coordinated programs to build the critical mass required to achieve our goals. With 12 national and international Partner Organizations, the Centre forms one of the largest combined and focused efforts in quantum computation and communication in the world.

Australia possesses world-leading theoretical, experimental and commercial expertise in quantum key distribution (QKD). In close partnership with QuintessenceLabs and LockHead Martin the Centre will work with government agencies to provide the highest level of intra-governmental information security. In particular this program will develop a high-bit-rate QKD system, using continuous-variable technologies, with high key generation rates (> 10 Mbits/sec). This program will also spearhead the research into developing a quantum repeater to extend the secure communication distance by capturing, storing, and processing transmitted quantum information.

Optical technology offers one of the leading platforms for quantum information processing, with demonstrations of high-fidelity multi-qubit operations, protocols and multi-qubit entanglement. In addition to low-noise operation and photon qubit mobility, a major advantage of optical quantum computation is its ability to link with quantum communication systems. The Centre leads the world in small-scale quantum logic circuits and will push towards developing unique architectures for scale up.

Electron spins bound to P donors in silicon (Si:P qubits) are tremendously attractive for large-scale quantum computing due to their extremely long coherence times and the potential of scaling using industrial silicon manufacturing. The Centre is the world leader in donor qubit devices, having employed a highly successful dual track approach of precision donor placement by STM, and ion implantation. We have recently demonstrated single-shot spin readout in a silicon qubit architecture with relaxation times of ~10 seconds.

This work-package brings together researchers from across the Centre to build common conceptual and technological platforms to achieve the Centre’s overarching vision of long distance quantum communication and distributed quantum computation. It will oversight the development of critical technology, including quantum sources, detectors and memory. It will also provide the
supporting theory for device design, architectures for scale up, device modelling and quantum control. Finally it will actively pursue opportunities to commercialise quantum information technology.